Information gathered from various countries around the world is presented in this general guide to help school administrators and teachers relate primary and secondary education to the realities and problems of rural agriculture and life. Topics include curricula, syllabuses and programs, teacher training and orientation, new teaching techniques…

Excessive unemployment, serious deficiencies in education, housing, welfare, transportation, and government systems are major problems in West Virginia. A historical contributor to the present condition is the decline of the coal industry. Also a contributor is the general apathy of the citizens toward change and economic progress. The state's…

Examples of projects, notably those using watersheds, that local community action groups can promote in planning and developing needed recreational facilities are discussed in this study report. Objectives of the report are to create an awareness of group action in obtaining recreational development, to emphasize that community action is important…

A panel on technology transfer considered ways in which educational instructions and industry could share attempts to innovate. Examples of technology transfer in action included Pennsylvania's Ben Franklin Partnership, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's program, and NASA's Technology Utilization Division. Results of an Appalachian Regional study…

The Idaho Rural Partnership (IRP) was created within the Idaho Department of Labor to join diverse public and private resources in innovative collaborations to strengthen communities and improve life in rural Idaho. The IRP is an accessible organization that listens to local problems and collaborates to develop systemwide solutions. The board of…

In the last decade, a technological revolution has touched all aspects of business and society in Australia, the Western world, and to a lesser extent, the developing world. This revolution has occurred against a backdrop of long-term fundamental changes in rural Australian communities. The decline in traditional agriculture's terms of trade and…

Describes a problem-solving instructional unit which utilizes a simulation gaming method to help students in an introductory college-level geography course understand rural community development in a developing nation. (DB)

Examines whether the Internet will be an equalizer or will increase social stratification, whether the Internet will be a boon to rural areas, and how it can be made more appealing or acceptable to rural areas. Discusses the "missionary movement" model of economic change and rural issues related to access to infrastructure, censorship,…

Examines the ongoing rural transformation in China in relation to agricultural reforms and the implementation of changing rural educational policies. Compares the Chinese decentralized approach to rural education, involving two-way rural-urban linkages and other alternative networks, to the American extension system. 21 references. (SV)

Describes history, organizational problems and activities of Paraguay's Asociacion de Agricultores de Alto Parana (ASAGRAPA) and Programa de Ayuda Cristiana (PAC), farmer organizations. Details how cotton production losses forced farmers to invent new, varied markets, turning subsistence crops (peanuts, corn, and rice) into cash crops, while…

Analyzes the distribution of 1985 federal expenditures among U.S. counties by expenditure function and object and by county type (metro/nonmetro and nonmetro economic base). Concludes that federal spending in nonmetro areas focuses on income redistribution and does not promote economic development. (SV)

An Appalachian Regional Commission-sponsored conference on entrepreneurship stressed that the availability of investment capital is important to economic development in Appalachia and other rural areas, but it is not enough. A local social and business culture that embraces entrepreneurship and risk-taking must be developed through…

This keynote address suggests that the rural sector of Australia is, and will remain, absolutely essential to the well-being of the entire nation. There are misconceptions that the rural economy is no longer important to the nation as a whole and that rural people and communities are marginal to society. Australia's entire economy is heavily…

The lower Mississippi River delta region comprises 214 counties in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois. The region is heavily dependent on agriculture and contains unusually high proportions of small farms, poor farmers, and black farmers. A conference planned by the region's 13 land-grant institutions and…

This report addresses current economic conditions in rural America and offers recommendations about the role the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can play in providing rural development. The Task Force identifies issues for rural policy in the 1990's focusing on economic development. Current rural programs are described and…